Are You Brushing Your Teeth With Laundry Detergent? (Spoiler: Probably)

Shampoo, body wash, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, and hand soap are all basically the same thing, at their core: Detergent, which is made from water and some combination of sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS, for the sake of brevity). It can be either plant or petroleum-based. And they’re not just putting it in the soap.

They’re putting it into toothpaste as well — go grab your toothpaste tube and take a look at the ingredients. Detergent is used in toothpaste to give it that nice foaminess, and the taste is masked by the minty flavorings. Whatever chemicals your toothpaste contains, the surfaces of the inside of your mouth absorb them. Below are some potential effects of sodium laureth and lauryl sulfate:

Even “natural” brands like Tom’s of Maine (now owned by Colgate-Palmolive) generally contain SLS. But thanks to increased concerns from consumers about the effects, with a little searching, you can find a toothpaste that doesn’t have it. Same goes for other products, like laundry detergents and dish soaps.

For shampoo and body wash, you can replace your SLS-containing brands with your own blends of melt-and-pour soap and essential oils, making custom soap at home that would compete easily with luxury brands in terms of quality. Custom DIY soap bars also make great gifts.